Automatic time display machine



June 3 1924.

H. N. GREEN AUTOMATIC TIME DISPLAY MACHINE 2 Shanta-Shutl FIG .2

FIGVI.

inventor WITNESS LM FOUKE June 3, 1924. 1,496,159

H. N. GREEN AUTOMATIC TIME DISPLAY MACHINE Filed May 4, 1922 2 Shoots-Shoot 2 66 65 v 73 63 4. v 40 t FIG.8.

FIGS

WITNESS LMFOUKE Patented June 3, 1924;.

AUTOMATIC TIMEDISPLAY MACHINE.

Application file'd m 4., 1922. Serial no) 558,550;

T 0 all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 'I.,.HARnY N; GREEN.

a citizen of the "United States, residing at Hagerstown, lVashington County. Maryland, have invented a new and useful Auto matic Time Display Machine, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to display devices, and has special reference to a card or sign displaying device. I

More particularly, the invention relates tothatclass of devi'c'es'wherein a number of cards or signs'are arranged on an endless belt, within the casing, the signs being brought successively before a sight open l in; importantobjectof the invention is to provide an improved general construe (ion of devices of' this character. 9 i A second important obiect'of the invention is to provide a sign displaying device of this character Whereinthe movement of the card belt will be intermittent. and wherein a suitable shutter will be interposed between the sight opening and the card belt during the period of such movement.

A third important object of the invention is the provisiomin a device of this sort, of a pair of endless belts. one of which carries or consists of the cards or signs to be displayed, while the'other is provided with alternate shutter and sight spaces. said belts being operated in timed relation.

A fourth important object of the invention is the provision. in a sign displaying device of thischaracten of novel means for operating the belts of t he device in timed relation. p

With the above and'other objects in view as Will be hereinafter apparent. the inventionconsists in general of certain novel details of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter full described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and specifically claimed.

. In the accompanying drawings like characters of reterence indicate like parts in the several views, and:

4 Fig. 1 is a side elevation partly in section taken from oneside of the device.

Fig.2 is a similar view taken from the ppPOSite side thereof.

. Figi af on elev i of t e i .pa t ly n. se.pti 7 Fig. i is a detail view of a portion of one of the sign carrying belts.

Fig. 5 is a similar view to Fig-p4, but showing a portion of the shutter belt.

Fig. 6 is afdetail endvview of one of the clamps employed therein.

Fig. '7 is an enlarged detail view :of a portion of one of such clamps taken from the side thereof.

Fig. 8 is adetailplan view of mechanism -"used herewith for causing proper timed mov'ementrofthebelts. :r w Fig. 9 is a front view of" such driving mechanismpartly-insection.

the driving '10 is an" end" view 'of the driv-ing mechanism.'

Fig. 11 is a detail of such driving mechan-ism showing the sprocket chain" and sprockets in side elevation.

Fig. 12 is adetail edge view tripping disks.

Fig. 13 a detail edge view of the other tripping disk. I I I In carrying'out theobjec-ts of the invention, there is provided a casing 10, having at its front and back suit-able window opening's. preferably glass 11. These window openings constitute front and rear sight openings.- In the upper part oft-he casing.

of one of the there is journalled a pair of shafts "12,

whereon are pulleys 13go ver which run the chains 14 which form the sign carrying belts. and which are connected b v clamping devices 15. each of which consists of a rigid back member 16 havinga bar 17 extending "from end to end thereof. said bar being supported insuitable lugs 18. Surrounding the bar 17 are coil spriifigs 19 having terminal ends 20 which press down on the back 16, and thus serve, when a. card or the like i is' inserted between them. and said back, to hold the card in position. The chains 14 run also over sprockets 21, which are carried on shafts 22; extending through the sides of the casing and being provided on one end with sprockets 23; *Extendin'g through the sides of the casing adjacent the bottom is a shaft 24, this'shaft being formed "in two sections. and carrying on one section a sprocket 25. Aroundt-he sprocket 25 and the sprocket 23' pass'esfa. driving chain 26. Similarly there is providedin the top of the casing a pair of shafts 27Qwhich P rr p e -ki 2 5i d edi eeet t e sha t 22 are shafts 29 carrying sprockets 30. Around the sprockets 28 and 30 extend chains 31, provided with clamps 32, similar to the clamps 15. These chains 31 con stitute the shutter carrying chains, and suitable blank cards, which may be black, whit or colored, are held at intervals of the chains 31 by the clamps 32. The ends of the sha ts 29 project through one sideof the casing, and on these projecting ends are sprockets 33. The remaining section of the shaft 24 projects through this end of the casing, and carries a sprocket 34. Around the sprockets 33 and 34 extends the driving chain 35.

Suitable mechanism, presently to be described, is provided which is so arranged that the belts 14 and 31 are moved in timed relation. It is'preferred that the belt 31 have four sections, two of said sections being open or transparent, while the other two are opaque. In the operation of the device, a card to be displayed may be seen through the glazed window 11 at the time when. the twoop'en or transparent sections of the belt 31, on this side of the apparatus, are opposite each other. Prior to the movement of the belt 14- for the display of the next card, the timer mechanism actuates the belt 31 until the two opaque sections of this belt are brought between the card and the glazed window 11. As soon as this takes lace, the belt 31 ceases to move, and the belt 14 will then move sufficiently to bring the next succeeding card opposite the window 11, and will then come to rest. As soon as the belt 14 comes to rest, the belt 31 again moves to bring the two open or transparent portions opposite the window 11, so that the new card can be observed.

Considering now the mechanism by which this is accomplished:

Within the casing 10, there is provided a base 36, extending up from which are standards 37, carrying the sect-ions of the shaft 24, the same being in the form of sleeves. Through the sleeves passes a rod or shaft 38, and on this rod or shaft be-' tween the inner ends of the sleeves is mounted a sprocket wheel 39, which is connected by a chain 40 with a sprocket 41, mounted on a shaft 53, supported in bearings 43 carried bythe base 36. The shaft 42 is provided with a gear44 wherewith meshes a pinion 45, carried by a motor 46 on the shaft. The sprocket 39 is provided with a boss 47 011 each side, and from each of these bosses projects a radial finger 48. Splined slidably on each section 24 of the shaft is a clutch member 49, having a laterally projecting finger 50, which is engaged by the finger 48 whenever the clutch member 49 is forced to its innermost positionby the spring, 51, which surrounds the respective shaft section 24, and bears against one of the standards or bearings 37, Thus,

whenever the clutch member 49 is forced inward, the shaftsection 24 will revolve therewith, and consequently, as previously described, the belts which are driven by that shaft section will move.

On the shaft 53 is a gear 51, which meshes with a pinion 52 on the shaft 42 supported in the rear bearing standards 43. On this shaft 42 is a crank disk 54 provided with a crank pin 55 whereto is connected one end of a pawl 56, which has its free end extending forwardly and urged upwardly by a spring 57. This free end engages a ratchet 58 fixed on a shaft 59 supported in bearings 60. On the shaft 59 is mounted a pair of worms'61, each of which meshes with a horizontal worm wheel 62. one of these worms 61 is fixed to the shaft 59, while the other worm 61 is provided with a hub 63, having a series of peripheral notches 64, engageable by a finger 65 pivot-ally mounted on a sleeve 66 fixed to said shaft 59. Thus this worm wheel 62 may be rotated with respect to the shaft 59, and locked in such rotating position by the engagement of the finger 65 in a respective notch 64. Each of the clutch members 49 is provided with a spirally extending peripheral groove 67, and adjacent each of these members there is mounted a lever 68, having adownwardly extending finger 69 adapted to enter the respective groove 67 when this end of the finger is depressed. The other end of this lever 68 terminates in a tail 70, which lies beneath the respective worm wheel 62, and on the worm wheel which controls the card belt, there is provided a single tripping cam. 71, while the other worm wheel is provided with a pair of tripping cams 72, similar to the cam 71. The position of these cams on the wheels is regulated by providing the peripheral portions of said wheels with a series of openings 73 wherein the stems 74 of these cams may fit.

In the operation of this part of the device, it will be noted that the fingers 69 are normally engaged in the groove 67, so that the clutch members 49 are drawn back and held back. As the motor operates, the ratchet 58 will be rotated, and this will drive the shaft 59, which in turn operates the worm wheel 62. Assuming that the transparent or open portions of the outer belts are opposite the windows, and a card displayed, the effect will be as follows:

The worm wheel 62 will rotate until the first of the tripping cams 72 contacts with the tail of the respective lever 68. This will move the finger 69 of that lever out of its groovc67, and the spring 51 will force the clutch member 49 inward. This causes the revolution of one section 24 of the shaft, and the belt 31 will be driven to bring the opaque portions opposite the window on each side of the device. As the O slips terial spirit thereof.

e carrying belt and off of the first tripping cam 72, the tail 70 of the other lever 68 is engaged by the tripping cam 71 with the result that the other clutch member is released. Also as the tailof the first lever slips off, the finger 69 engages in its groove 67 and draws the first clutch member out of engagement so that the outer belts cease to move, while the inner or card belts now move. The card belts complete their movement at the time when the cam '71 passes from beneath the tail of its lever 68, whereupon the second tripping cam '72 engages the tail of the first lever 68, and the outer belts are again moved. Thus it will be seen that the mechanism just described first, effects closing of the windows 11, second, movement of the inner belts, and third, opening of the windows 11.

There has thus been provided a simple and efiicient device of the kind described and for the purpose specified.

It is obvious that minor changes may be made in the form and construction of the invention without departing from the ma- It is not, therefore, desired to confine the invention to the exact form herein shown and described, but it is desired to includeall such as properly come within the scope claimed.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new, is

1. In a. display device, an endless card carrying belt, an endless shutter carrying belt supported wholly in front of the card having spaced shutters thereon positioned to cross each other during closing movement, and means for intermittently moving said belts, said means being arranged to move in succession the shutter belt from open to closed. position, the card belt, and the shutter belt from closed to open position.

2. In a display device, a card carrier arranged to display a succession of cards, a shutter device including an endless belt supported wholly in front of the card carrier and having spaced shutters thereon positioned to cross each other during closing movement of the shutter device. and driving means for said carrier and shutter device, said driving means being arranged to intermittently move the carrier to bring successive cards into display positionand permit them to rest in such position, said driving means being further arranged to intermittently move the shutter device to close off the cards during the movement of the card carrier.

3. In a display device, a card carrier, a

shutter device, a shaft for actuating the card carrier and having operative connection therewith, a second shaft for actuating the shutter device and having operative connection therewith, a driving wheel, clutches for connecting said shafts to said driving wheel, and means for clutching and unclutching the clutches inv timed relation.

l. In a display device, a card carrier, a shutter device, a shaft for actuating the card carrier and having operative connection therewith, a second shaft for actuating the shutter device and having operative connection therewith. a driving wheel, clutches for connecting said shafts to said driving wheel, springs urging said clutches into clutching position, means for drawing said clutches out of clutching position and holding them withdrawn, and a trip device for disengaging said means from the clutches in timed relation.

5. In a display device, a card carrier, a shutter device, a shaft for actuating the card carrier and having operative connection therewith, a second shaft for actuating the shutter device and having operative connection therewith, a driving wheel, clutches for connecting said shafts to said driving wheel, springs urging said clutches into clutching, position, said clutch-es each having a spiral groove in its periphery, fingers normally engaging said grooves and movable laterally with respect to the clutches to enter and leave said grooves, said fingers when in said grooves effecting withdrawal of said clutches, and means to move the fingers into and out of said grooves in timed relation.

6. In a display device, a card carrier, a shutter device, a. shaft. for actuating the card carrier and having operative connection therewith, a second shaft for actuating the shutter device and having operative connection therewith, a driving wheel, clutches for connecting said shafts to said driving wheel, springs urging said clutches into clutching position, said clutches each having a spiral groove in its periphery, fingers normally engaging said grooves and movable laterally with respect to. the clutches to enter and leave said grooves, said fingers 'when in said grooves effecting withdrawal of said clutches, a motor for driving said wheel, timer cam wheels arranged to effect temporary withdrawal of said fingers from said grooves in timed relation, and an operative connection between the motor and timer wheels.

HARRY N. GREEN. 

